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Loving Golden Retriever Becomes Golden Chariot for Tiniest Family Member

Posted by Rebecca West on May 05, 2017

Did somebody call a cab?

Golden retrievers are known for their good natured dispositions. They are sweet, gentle and loving dogs with the patience of a saint, so much so that they are most often chosen as service dogs. And it isn’t just humans they so willingly serve, it’s other animals as well. Take Hank, for instance. He is so kind and loving that he happily carts around Bella, a sassy little terrier mix, as if she were Cleopatra, whose feet should never touch the ground.

The Odd Couple

Hank and Bella are members of the Burkhart family, a five–dog household in Midland, Michigan. Adriana, age 19, is a junior at Michigan State University in nearby East Lansing. That’s where her and Bella stay during the week, commuting home on weekends to be with the rest of the clan. Hank, according to Adriana, has always had a fascination with Bella. Bella, on the other hand, runs the show among the family’s canines when she’s there. When they’re together, Hank and Bella are inseparable.

Did Somebody Call a Cab?

Besides playing and sleeping together, Bella uses Hank as a step stool whenever she wants to get on the furniture, and Hank, being as accommodating as he is, lays there patiently and lets her walk all over him. That was probably the basis for what came next. During one particular weekend visit, Adriana heard Hank walking around the living room. When she looked up, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. There was Bella lounging on Hank's back, as if she belonged there, as he wandered about aimlessly.

Did somebody say treats? Teamwork in action

Seeing is Believing

“My mom and I couldn’t believe it,” Adriana said. “And we just kind of looked at them and looked at each other in a simultaneous ‘What just happened?’ kind of moment.” And it isn’t just for the sheer pleasure of hitching a ride and surveying her queendom while looking down upon her subjects from her rightful station in life. Apparently, Bella hops aboard Hank when the other dogs are excited and she’s getting lost in the madding crowd or whenever treats make an appearance.

Teamwork

“Whenever we’re making food, she uses Hank to get a better vantage point so she can be closer to the counter. She’s got a pretty good puppy dog eye, so they both end up getting treats whenever that happens,” Adriana stated when referencing their teamwork. Hank, for his part, is totally cool with it. “Honestly, most of the time Hank doesn’t even seem to notice. I’m pretty sure that he likes it, because when she jumps down he’ll follow her around.”

Small dogs tend to have a lot of character. What kind of outrageous stunts do your dogs pull? Tell us in the comments section below.